Composite fabric and method of producing same



Nov. 9, 1943. R. c. AMIDON COMPOSITE FABRIC AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME Filed Feb. 19. 1941 ni l.

I m. wh- III ASE SHE E T KNITTINGt B [LATEX] H I u LATEX NITTING IMPHEGNATED K l 1 WOVEN BASE SHEET WOVEN FABRIC KNITTING= WATER PHOOFED FA ERIC Roy L. Amwlofi Clam/MM;

Patented Nov. 9, 1943 COMPOSITE FABRIC AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME Roy C. Amidon, St. Johnsville, N. Y., assignor to Vanity Fair Mills, Inc., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application February 19, 1941, Serial No. 379,687

21 Claims.

- fabric and process of making the same, in which the base sheet through which the knitting takes place may not only be more or less vulcanized but which will be entirely enclosed by the knitting.

Further, the invention has for an object to produce a textile fabric which can be given the appearance of grained or embossed leather and which may be givenan infinite number of surface designs.

Further, it. is an object to provide a waterproof or water repelling fabric embodying the nonstretching characteristics of woven fabric with the ornamental appearances of knit fabric.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out hereinafter.

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends the invention still further resides in the novel details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all of which will be first fully described in the following detailed description, and then be particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figs. 1 to 4 are diagrammatic sectional views of different. embodiments of the invention.

In carrying out my invention I may take a base sheet preferably composed of a suitable vulcanizable material such, forinstance, as a sheet of partially vulcanized latex, or I may take a textile fabric saturated with latex, or other suitable material that can be vulcanized or stabilized by any suitable method, and lmit through such base sheet according to the teachings disclosed in my Letters Patent No. 2,136,368 of November 15, 1938.

The knit fabric is then air or heat treated to vulcanize or set the base sheet material.

If the fabric is to be embossed, the vulcanization may take place atthe same tlmeas the embossing, by using heated embossing rollers, presses or molds.

As a further development of my process and product, after the base sheet has been passed through the knitting machine and before complete vulcanization occurs, the knit fabric may be fulled or felted and the fabric then placed in a vulcanizing mold or press or passed between vulcanizing rollers, thereby anchoring down the surface threads so that the fulled or felted appearance of the fabric will be maintained indefinitely.

As a further development of my process, the article after completion of theknitting act may be passed through suitable dyeing apparatus beforeplacing it in the final vulcanizing mold or pressor passing it through the final vulcanizing rollers.

In carrying out my invention I may proceed as follows:

A sheet of woven fabric is passed through a bath of latex or maybe sprayed with latex until the fabric becomes saturated (more or less) with the latex. The sheet is then passed over a vacuum or suction device to remove excess latex, and open the pores between the threads of the fabric; the latex-treated fabric is then passed through clay dust or other suitable material to dry the exposed latex on the threads; the base fabric is thereafter passed through the knitting machine (see my Letters Patent No. 2,136,368 aforesaid) and the two faces of the base fabric are thereby covered with the knit material; the

late-xed basesheet which the 'knit threads now cover may be further vulcanized to the extent desired by air or heat treatment, or in any other suitable way. When the fabric is to be an embossed fabric, thislatter vulcanization step may be made to occur simultaneously with the embossing act-by using heated embossing molds, presses or rollers.

If thefinishdesired is a fulled or felted finish,

the surface of the knitting is fulled or felted beterial as herein referred'to other suitable sub stances maybe employed.

The use of latex impregnated fabric, o'ra la sheet as a base fabric, or a layer of woven fabric and a layer oflatex together, as a base sheet,

produces a or water repellant fabric, (m. 1 t 3 inclusive)..

Instead of latex, I may use, for the purpose of producing a. waterproof or water repelling fabric, abase sheet of woven fabric waterproofed by any other suitable substance or composition or in any other suitable way, (Fig. 4)

This application is a continuation in part of my application Serial. Number 291,259, filed August 21, 1939.

Having thus described the invention, it is thought that the complete process and product will be clear to those skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

l. The method of making composite fabric which comprises knitting through a base sheet containing vulcanizable material, and thereafter effecting the vulcanization of said material to the extent dmired.

2. The method of making composite fabric which comprises knitting through a base sheet containing vulcanizable material, thereafter effecting the vulcanization of said material to the extent desired, and simultaneously embossing the composite fabric.

3. The method of making a composite fabric which consists in knitting through a base sheet containing vulcanizable substance; then matting, fulling or felting the surface of the fabric, and finally applying pressure to the surface to set the same and vulcanizing the vulcanizable material.

4. The method of making a composite fabric which consists in saturating a sheet of woven textile material with latex; removing excess latex from the sheet and opening the pores thereof; drying the exposed latex on the sheet; passing the sheet through a knitting machine toknit through the sheet and enclose the base sheet in the knitting.

5. The method of making a composite fabricwhich consists in saturating a sheet of woven textile material with latex; removing excess latex from the sheet and opening the pores thereof; drying the exposed latex on the sheet; passing the sheet through a knitting machine to knit through the sheet and enclose thebase sheet in the knitting; and then completing the vulcanlzation of the latex.

6. The method of making a-oomposite fabric K which consists in saturating a sheet of woven textile material with late removing excess latex Ifrom the sheet and opening the pores thereof; drying the exposed latex on the sheet; passing f the sheet through a knitting machine to knit ";through the sheet and enclose the base sheet ;.;in the knitting; and then placing the composite sheet in a vulcanizing press or mold to set'the latex.

y." I. The method of making a compositefabric which consists in saturating a sheet of woven textile material with latex; removing excess latex from the sheet and opening the pores thereof; drying the exposed latex on the sheet; passing the sheet :through a knitting machine to knit through the sheet and enclose the base sheet in the knitting; and then placing the composite sheet in a vulcanizing and embossing press or mold to set the latex and emboss the fabric.

8. The method of making a composite fabric which consists in saturating a sheet of woven textile material with latex; removing excess latex from the sheet and opening the pores thereof; on the sheet; passing machine to knit throughtbesheetandenclosethebasesheetin the knitting; and then felting'the surface of the fabric; and finally completing the vulcanization, 9. The process of producing a composite fabric which consists in passing a sheet of woven fabric through a bath of latex until it becomes saturated ting material; and finally completing th vulcanization of the latex to the extent desired.

10. The process of producing a composite fabric which consists in passing av sheet of woven fabric through a bath of latex until it becomes saturated with the latex; removing excess latex from the sheet by suction and opening the pores between the threads of the sheet; passing the latex-treated sheet through a suitable drying medium to dry the exposed latex on the threads; then passing the sheet'through a knitting ma chine and covering both faces of the sheet with knitting material; passing the composite sheet through a dyeing bath; and. finally completing thsrizdvulcanization of the latex to the extent de- 11. The process of producing a composite fabrlc which consists in passingia sheet of woven fabric through a bath of latex imtil it becomes saturated with the latex; removing excess latex from the sheet by suction and opening the pores between the threads of the sheet; passing the latex-treated sheet through a suitable drying medium to dry the exposedlatex on the threads; then passing the sheet through a knitting machine and covering both faces of the sheet with knitting material; posing the composite sheet.

through a dyeing bath; and then embossing the composite sheet and completing the vulcanization of the latex to the extent desired.

12. A composite fabric, comprising a base sheet composed of vulcanizable latex, and a fabric knit through and embedding the base sheet before final vulcanixation.

13. A composite fabric, comprising a base sheet composed of vulcanizable latex, and a fabric knit through and embedding the base sheet before final vulcanization, said composite fabric being of textile material impregnated with vulcanix-- able latex, and a fabric knit through said base sheet and covering both faces thereof, the outer faces of the composite fabric being fulled.

16. A composite fabric comprising a base sheet of textile material impregnated with vulcanizable latex, and a fabric knit through said base-- sheet and covering both faces thereof, the outer faces of the composite fabric being felted.

17. A composite fabric comprising a base sheet of textile material impregnated with vulcanirable latex, and a fabric knit through said base sheet and covering both faces thereof the fabric being knit to produce an ornamental surface.

18. A- composite fabrlc comprising a base sheet of textile material impregnated with latex-and MCKIIRWMMIIIMMW:

ing both faces thereof, the fabric being embossed and the latex on vulcanization serving to ffix the embossings. a

19, A composite fabric comprising a vulcanizable waterproof base fabric and a fabric knit 5 through the same.

20. A compositefabric comprising a base sheet composed of a layer of woven fabric and at least one layer of vulcanizable latex; and a fabric knit through the some.

21. A composite fabric-comprising a base sheet composed of a layer of woven fabric and at least one layer of vulcanizable material and a fabric knit through the same, the fabric being embossed and thevulcanizable material serving to flx the embossings.

' ROY c. AMIDON. 

